Contact Us & Staff Information - Kirkland Arts Center

To contact us by phone, dial (425) 822-7161 followed by the extension to reach the appropriate staff member. View our office hours.

Education Director

Ashlie Beach
(425) 822-7161 x108
abeach@kirklandartscenter.org

More about Ashlie

As education director, Ashlie Beach has used her creative skills and forward thinking to expand the Kirkland Arts Center into “the regional leader of engaging arts experiences for all.” She joined KAC after having spent the last twenty years in non-profits serving youth and education, including extensive volunteer work at Perinatal Support Washington, and on the boards of her children’s co-operative and public schools. She graduated from Boston University with degrees in Art History and Philosophy, and studied towards a PhD in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Virginia, where she was a teaching instructor and researcher.

Gallery Curator & Exhibition Designer

J. Gordon
(425) 822-7161 x102
jgordon@kirklandartscenter.org

More about J.

He has been coordinating exhibitions and art events for over 15 years, and before leaving the Mid-Atlantic in 2014 held the position of Curatorial Associate at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. Gordon currently teaches Drawing courses at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology and is represented by Gallery 110 in Pioneer Square. He earned his Masters from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia, and his Bachelors at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS.

Marketing & Communications Director

Lauren Lyddon

(425)822-7161 x109
llyddon@kirklandartscenter.org

More about Lauren

Lauren Lyddon brings to KAC experience in business, marketing, and communications. She earned her MBA from University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, and loves using her private sector background in a creatively-focused environment. Formerly of Colorado and Arizona, she loves exploring the Pacific Northwest, traveling, and spending time with her husband and friends making the most of all the Seattle area has to offer

Development Director

Caitlin Pontrella
(425) 822-7161
cpontrella@kirklandartscenter.org

More about Aaron

Caitlin brings over a decade of executive experience and a passion for furthering equity in the arts, recreation, and our public spaces and parks. Since 2009, they have worked within government, non-profit organizations, and social enterprises to deliver creative educational programming and experiences that encourage self expression, citizenship, environmental stewardship, and physical/mental health. They earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and created 40+ public art installations in NYC and NJ.

Education Manager and Gallery Coordinator

Geneva Baldauf
(425) 822-7161 x105
gbaldauf@
kirklandartscenter.org

More about Geneva

Geneva moved to the Seattle area shortly after graduating Sarah Lawrence College in 2015 with a BA in Liberal Arts. Being an artist and looking to further her career in the visual arts, she volunteered to be a Gallery Assistant at the Kirkland Arts Center while working at the Seattle Art Museum. Dedicated to bringing accessible and engaging artwork to her community, Geneva has found a home as Exhibitions and Education Coordinator over a year later.

Senior Ceramics Technician

Pat Colyar
pcolyar@kirklandartscenter.org

More about Pat

Pat Colyar is the Senior Ceramics Technician at the Kirkland Arts Center and she has taught ceramics since 1988. She enjoys helping people learn about the joys of clay work while discovering their own abilities. She specializes in making functional ceramic ware and two-dimensional wall pieces and sells her work through various local galleries.

Assistant Ceramics Technician

Robert Wetherington
rwetherington@kirklandartscenter.org

More about Robert

Robert received his BFA in Ceramics and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2007 and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2009.
Wetherington has exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Korea. His work is included in numerous public and private collections. He has received several awards and is a Fulbright Scholar.
He has taught at the Flint Institute of Arts, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and now teaches at Bellevue College, and Kirkland Arts Center. He lives and works in Redmond, WA where he has his studio.

Education Assistant

Glenda J. Cooper
gcooper@kirklandartscenter.org

More about Glenda

Glenda Cooper has been an integral volunteer member of the KAC staff for the last twenty years, and holds amazing institutional memory. She deftly helps students register for class, and assists staff and teaching artists prepare for, and then execute classes. In addition, she is a talented painter and mixed media artist, who has a passion for plants and archery. Glenda has taken a number of painting, art history, and abstract art classes at KAC, and is a great resource for class recommendations, or sourcing art supplies. Originally from Virginia, she lives with her husband and dog in Woodinville.